Rajasthan is the land of kings and warriors and is famous for its rich history, culture, art, music, dance, wildlife and fairs and festivals.
The magical land of great combatants, the famed kingdom of Maharajas and their Majestic forts and lavish palaces make it one of the offbeat tourist destinations in India.
The glory of Rajasthan is its distinctive culture, magnificent forts, and silent deserts, vast history, courteous people, national parks & wildlife sanctuaries, lakes and moreover men in amazing turban charms every soul of the travelers.
If you are looking for a secret gateway then it would be the best destination. The state itself is the showcase of its glorious past. It is righteously said that there is more history in Rajasthan than in the rest of our country. It has captured the royal essence of India.
A beautiful amalgamation of colors, cultures and vast desert will keep busy while you visit Rajasthan. From the depth of an age-old tradition to the height of a royal depth and run in the wild – the ultimate Rajasthan Tour takes you around a joyful experience at every step.
Rajasthan is really famous for the Golden Triangle tour and National Parks like Ranthambore National Park, Sariska national park and Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
Where is Rajasthan?
Rajasthan is nestled in the northwestern region of India and geographically stands at the top with being the largest state of India. The landscape spread over an area of around 342,239 sq km is so vivid and varied that it makes Rajasthan a unique tourism destination.
The periphery of Rajasthan consists of an international border with Pakistan in the west and north-west, state borders with Punjab in the North, Haryana in the Northeast, Uttar Pradesh in the East, Madhya Pradesh in the Southeast and Gujarat in the Southwest.
The large part of the wide and hostile Thar Desert, which is also known as the Rajasthan Desert or Great Indian Desert, is in the Rajasthan state.
The famous mountain range of Aravali divides the land into the southeast and northwest region of Rajasthan and runs from one end of the state to another end covering around 850 km of distance. While the southeast region is the fertile zone and consists of farmland, greenery and forests, the Northwest region, which makes up the larger part of the state, mostly consists of a series of rolling sand dunes. However, these sand dunes are the prime tourist attraction and offer you a mesmerizing view in the full moonlight. The places like Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, etc. constitute the Northwest region and are prime tourist destinations.
Wildlife in Rajasthan
The wildlife diversity of Rajasthan tourism is as famous as its vivid culture, traditions and ecology. Known for being home to amazing wildlife and flag bearer of wildlife protection, the National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserve Forests of Rajasthan also attract tourists from all over the world. The state is adorned with five National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are the natural habitat for hundreds of wildlife species and are also highly famous among wildlife enthusiasts. These Parks and Sanctuaries are the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, the Sariska National Park in Alwar, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Bharatpur, the Mukundara Hills National Park in Kota and the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer.
Rajasthan is also leading in tiger conservation and is home to the three tiger reserves named Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Sariska Tiger Reserve and Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve are situated in their respective National Parks. Ranthambore National Park is widely famous worldwide due to its amazing effort in tiger conservation and increased tiger population. The tiger reserve of Ranthambore is considered as heaven for both wildlife lovers and professional wildlife photographers and is the most visited National Park in India for tiger sightings. The tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve got extinct once due to heavy poaching and negligence, but after the relocation of tigers from Ranthambore, the park is boasting of increasing tiger population now.
Other wildlife sanctuaries which are famous for being the tourist attraction are Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhensrod Garh Sanctuary, Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary, Darrah Sanctuary, Jaisamand Sanctuary and Jawahar Sagar sanctuary. All these sanctuaries are established to protect wildlife and endangered flora and fauna of the region. There is also a wildlife research institute named Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) is established in Jodhpur as an autonomous institute, under the ministry of environment and forest of the government of India for research on wildlife flora and fauna and their conservation.
How to Reach Rajasthan
The prominent cities of Rajasthan are well connected through the other parts of the country by air, rail and road routes. Various National Highways passing through the state, well-maintained state roads, busy rail routes with special luxury trains and four airports including one international airport make traveling in Rajasthan very easy and comfortable. The interstate bus service is excellent in Rajasthan connecting all the prominent cities in the state. Detailed transport facilities are given below
By Air
Rajasthan has one of the busiest international airports located in Jaipur, the capital city of the state. The Jaipur International airport is connected through direct flights from all the prominent cities of India and abroad. Also, there are three domestic airports working effectively to connect the prominent cities of Rajasthan to other cities of India, which are Jodhpur Airport, Udaipur Airport and Bikaner Airport. A few other airports such as Jaisalmer Airport and Kota Airport are not open for civilian flights for now. The Airport Authority of India is on its way to constructing an airport in Kishangarh in Ajmer. Overall, the air connectivity in Rajasthan is comparatively well in the state.
By Rail
The rail network in Rajasthan connects all the major cities and towns with the other places of the state as well as India. The rail route offers easy and comfortable commuting in Rajasthan with various trains running in or crossing from the Rajasthan. There are many trains that connect various cities of Rajasthan to Delhi and Mumbai. Railway stations in the cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Alwar, Ajmer, Mount Abu and Udaipur are famous for their heritage value. Indian Railway also offers luxury train tourism services to experience the Royal Rajasthan through the trains. These trains are ‘Palace on Wheels’, ‘Maharajas’ Express’, ‘Royal Rajasthan on Wheels’ and ‘The Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey’.
By Road
The road network in Rajasthan connects all the cities, towns and villages of the state with the other places of the country. The National Highways and state roadways in Rajasthan are in excellent condition and the best commuting option for tourists to explore and understand the rich rural culture and traditions of Rajasthan, the real Rajasthan. The state bus service offers quite good transport services in the state. Rajasthan state bus service and other private bus services also offer tours and travel in Rajasthan by bus from prominent cities like Delhi and Mumbai. You can combine the railway and the roadway journey for the best touring experience within the limited holiday time. There are bus, tempo, taxi and cab services available from and to all the prominent cities of Rajasthan and major railway stations.
Best Time to Visit Rajasthan
It is always wise to know the weather of the place and the best time to visit any place before you actually reach there and get stuck in some unwanted weather conditions. Rajasthan is the largest state of India with an extensively varied landscape, ecology and weather. However, the climate of the state can be divided mainly into three seasons, which are summer, monsoon and winter. Even in the same season, the temperature and weather vary with the region. However, Rajasthan has so vibrant culture that every season has its own festivals and traditions, and every season has something to offer you for a memorable experience.
The summer season in Rajasthan starts relatively early, from mid-March and lasts until June. The temperature gets harsher day by day and crosses 48 degree Celsius during the daytime in the peak summer. If you are uncomfortable with the high temperature, then avoid visiting Rajasthan in the summer season, especially, in the Desert region of the state. However, if you want to visit in summer, then avoid the daytime and choose the early morning and late evening to roam and explore the place. Also, you can visit the places like Mount Abu, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh, etc. in the summer. These places offer you amazing breathtaking views of Nature and the climate is pleasant even in the summer.
After the Summer comes the Monsoon season, and this is the best season to visit Rajasthan as the monsoon season will give you the most pleasant experience here. Due to the rain showers, the temperature drops and the landscape of Rajasthan become more attractive and enchanting. From mid-July to September is the best time to visit as the weather is pleasant and you will face fewer tourist crowds. During this season, the famous lakes of Rajasthan get filled with water and offer a picturesque view. Also, do not miss to visit the Bird sanctuary of Bharatpur in the monsoon to view exotic migratory birds.
During the winter season, the temperature drops significantly in Rajasthan and the winter season starts mid-October and lasts till mid-March. During the peak winter season, from mid-December to mid-January, the temperature at night touches as low as 0 degree Celsius in the Desert region. However, the daytime is the most pleasant time with the modest temperature, which makes the winter season the best time to visit the Desert destinations. Many festivals are held during the winter season in the Desert locality of Rajasthan which attracts thousands and thousands of tourists from all over the globe.
Fast Facts of Rajasthan:
* Known As India’s largest state
* Founded: November 01, 1956
* Population: 73.53 million
* Location: North Indian state
* Established: Dates back to about 5000 years ago
* Capital City: Jaipur
* Area: 342,269 km2
* Number of Districts: 33 total
* Time Zone: GMT +05:30 Hrs
* Dialects: Rajasthani, Hindi, Marwari
* Climate: Tropical climate [summer: April – June], [winter: January – March], [Monsoon: July – September]
* Average Temperature: 100 C – 450 C
* Annual Rainfall: East Rajasthan – 675 mm, West Rajasthan: 313 mm
* Best Time to Visit: November – March
Top Places to visit in Rajasthan
About Ajmer
Formerly known as Ajmere, the city was founded in 7th century by Ajaypal Chauhan (Chauhan dynasty) who ruled it for several decades, with most illustrious ruler Prithvi Raj Chauhan. The city is closely associated with the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti – a venerated Sufi Saint who founded the Chisti order – the prime Sufi order in India even today.
About Pushkar
Pushkar is a small town located in Ajmer District. The city derives its literal meaning from the Sanskrit word ‘Pushkar’, which means blue lotus flower. Pushkar is one of the oldest cities in India, strategically located on the banks of Pushkar Lake. It is said that Lord Brahma performed Tapasysa here for thousands of years to have a glimpse of Lord Visnu. Tourists come here to rejuvenate their mind, body and soul with temples, holy lake and vedic chants that generates different kind of spiritual energy.
About Bikaner
Bikaner lies in medieval splendor with a timeless appeal. Established in the 1488 AD by Rajputs ruler Rao Bikaji, Bikaner reflects some of the beautiful creation of the Rajput era. Literally, Bikaner is a desert town in the middle of the Thar Desert. A majestic city of forts and palaces, Bikaner is known for its rich Rajput culture and some of the beautiful sculptured temples of red and yellow sand stones.
About Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is popularly called as the Golden City is situated amidst the desert. Appears raising from the heart of the Thar Desert the city gives a illusion of mirage before your eyes. Strategically located 575 kilometers away from the state capital Jaipur, the city is revered by Indian as well as foreign tourists due to its rich cultural heritage.
About Jodhpur
Snuggled within the depth of great Thar Desert, Jodhpur is another tourist magnet in here. Amongst the ample of tourist attractions in Jodhpur, a couple of interesting places are like Jaswant Thada and Mehrangarh. Visitors come here to discover the modern city with medieval charm.
About Mount-Abu
Mount Abu is a beautiful hill station situated in the midst of lush green hills, 185 km from Udaipur, located in the Sirohi district. Mount Abu is the one and only hill station of Rajasthan. Which is the highest peak in the Aravalli hills situated at an altitude of 1220 meters. This place is famous for best honeymoon destinations.
Also read: Top 20+ Places to visit in Delhi